The Hero's Fall (DCI Cook Thriller Series Book 14) by Phillip Strang (best classic romance novels txt) 📗

are others who would be willing to pay me what I want?’

Ashley weighed up the options; she didn’t like the choices presented.

‘How much and how soon before you give me the final proof, the name of the murderer?’

‘Today, if you’ll pay what I want.’

‘Which is?’

‘Two hundred thousand pounds.’

‘No one will pay that much.’

‘Jerome Jaden will.’

‘Are you inferring…?’

‘I’m inferring nothing.’

Ashley knew the man enjoyed his control over her.

‘I’ll need to talk to my editor, see what he has to say.’

For now, the man would have to remain with his tongue hanging out; she wasn’t going to whore herself anymore.

‘Are you going to play ball?’ McAlister said, patting her side of the bed.

‘I’ll get you the damn money. You need to be prepared to give it over, whatever it is.’

‘I will be. A down payment?’

‘Not from me. Otto, you’re slime.’

‘From you, Ashley, I take that as a compliment,’ McAlister said.

***

Jock, an uncomplicated man, waited at the farmhouse in Dorset.

Deb, tired of her brother’s belittling and complaining behaviour, had finally walked out of the door, phoning his wife to get off whoever she was shacking up with and to get back and look after him.

‘How could you,’ Kate had protested, ‘leaving him on his own.’

‘He won’t be, once you get down here. I’ve got better things to do.’

‘Such as?’

Jock received a kiss on Deb’s return, never asked one question about her time away, nor how she was. She went to a cupboard, took out a bottle and poured two whiskies, one for her, one for him.

‘It’s good to be back,’ she said.

‘One of the cows calved,’ Jock said.

To Deb, they were the most romantic words she had ever heard.

‘We’ll talk to the vicar tomorrow; tell him we’re getting married,’ Deb said.

‘The calf’s not feeding properly, and the cow’s not sure what to do, and then the others need milking, and by the way, you’ve got to do something about the chickens, that cockerel’s not pulling his weight.’

No holding of hands or overt signs of affection, Jock continued as he always did. To him, the world didn’t exist outside of the farm and the nearby village. He had never been to London, nor did he want to go, regarding Dorchester, the nearest town, with a population of twenty thousand, too big and too busy for him.

Deb was sublimely happy, and as for Jock, once he had finished eating the meal, he left the cottage, walked over to the wayward cockerel, wringing his hands to let it know its fate if it didn’t perform.

‘I’ve got to go and check my place,’ Jock shouted. ‘Back later.’

And that from Jock was the limit of his romantic inclinations. Deb knew that others wouldn’t understand, especially her sister-in-law.

Ashley, feeling dirty and soiled and abused and used, all in the cause of a story, felt cheapened, more so than her former junior, Chloe, who had been elated at seducing one of her idols.

Neither did she want to meet with Tom Taylor, even if he was attractive and young, knowing that he and McAlister were peas in a pod. One was rough and ready, the other was soft and fresh-faced, but neither cared deeply for their women, only for what they could give.

‘Jerome,’ Ashley said, ‘we should meet.’

She had thought long and hard before phoning Jaden, not sure if she’d get a favourable response. But there was a dilemma in that McAlister was demanding, and he would want her again, something she didn’t want to do, so she’d have to find someone who’d pay the money, get him off her back. Her editor had given a flat refusal to McAlister’s outrageous demand. ‘Not even if pigs fly,’ he had said.

Reaching out to Jaden would dash her career in journalism, sever her job at the newspaper, but she was determined.

‘Should we, Miss Otway?’ Jaden said. ‘After all, you’re bad news around the station. Somewhat of a tart, whoring for a good story.’

‘You’ve had someone following me? Bugging my phone? Or hacking my computer?’

‘Nothing so dramatic. We had someone at the hotel, the first time you shacked up with McAlister, but after that, nothing more.’

‘You sent Taylor to charm me.’

‘You think I would do better?’

‘Not with me. You, Mr Jaden, are a shrivelled old prune.’

‘We’ll meet tonight, at 8 p.m. Is that fine?’ Jaden found Ashley Otway’s retort humorous. He had to admit to liking her tenacity, a sneaking admiration for a strong-willed person, but he had no intention of letting her know.

‘Fine by me,’ Ashley said. ‘Where?’

‘Savoy Hotel, my treat.’

‘Downstairs?’

‘Savoy Grill, nothing untoward, not with you. You’re a smart woman, Ashley. If you weren’t such an annoyance, I’m sure I could find a job for you.’

‘I’ve got one, finding out who killed Simmons,’ Ashley said.

‘McAlister not to your taste?’

***

Justin Skinner stayed in Wales, spent more time with Rachel. His trips down to London curtailed due to Kate Hampton’s unwillingness to meet.

As Deb Hampton had said when Wendy phoned her, ‘The woman’s trying her best, and Mike’s not such a pain now, not after some of the mountaineering community came around, starting to believe his story. Although some are giving her the brush off, the Jezebel who caused it in the first place.’

‘Remorse on her part, making amends?’

‘Kate? Unlikely. That day she was down at the farm, I almost liked her, I never thought I would.’

‘When you were the main course for the bikers…’

‘When I was putting it about, is that what you’re saying?’

‘Succinctly,’ Wendy said. ‘You weren’t too particular back then, or were you?’

‘I wasn’t, but that was my time to rebel. I couldn’t see anything wrong with it at the time, still can’t, and as for Jock, he doesn’t care one